Investment and Partnerships
plans to invest $2.5 billion in a new research and development center in , marking its sixth global investment hub and expanding its workforce in the city to approximately 1,700.
The company has formed strategic partnerships with the Beijing government, three Chinese biotech firms, and Beijing Cancer Hospital, aiming to enhance early-stage research and clinical development through AI and data science.
Recent Controversies and Strategic Moves
This announcement follows the detention of AstraZeneca executives in China over data privacy and unlicensed medication concerns, and the company's decision to halt a vaccine plant expansion amid political debate.
AstraZeneca's investment in Beijing is part of a broader strategy to strengthen its presence in China, having spent nearly $10 billion on acquisitions in the country, including a significant investment in cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases.